


Inhuman Magnetism

by MechBull



Series: Follower Appreciation & Tumblr Meme Ficlets [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-05-13 18:22:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5712439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechBull/pseuds/MechBull
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>badscienceshenanigans requested: Simmons spilling a bit of pheromone on herself at the lab, then getting followed around by a fan club of lovelorn moths until it wears off. This is my own crack-smutty take on that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Inhuman Magnetism

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Pseudo-science loosely interpreted from Wikipedia, so take that with a grain of salt.

“ _Ugh!_ ”

Jemma made a truly disgusted face as her scalpel sliced unexpectedly easily through the abnormally large gland and a…secretion…splashed onto her. That was it. The last straw. The next time she spoke with Coulson, she’d demand they hire a real pathologist. And a real medical doctor while they were at it. 

At least Fitz wasn’t around at the moment. He took one look at the Inhuman corpse when it came in and suddenly remembered he had to be clear across the Playground. That was a good thing, really, because she could only imagine his reaction to the goo that was now clinging to her. 

Jemma put the scalpel down on the small tray next to her, stepped back and carefully removed her glasses. She blinked, relieved to ascertain that nothing had made it past the protective barrier and into her eyes. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the rest of her. She felt the substance start to drip off her nose, and she knew she had to clean it off before – _ew_ – it got into her mouth. 

Jemma leaned forward slightly, keeping her gloved hand cupped under the forming drop, just in case, and looked around. She spotted a towel on the bench next to her least favorite lab tech. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, though.

“Darren.”

He looked up at her and did a double take.

“Could you bring me that towel?” she asked, not wanting to waste the time on an explanation. 

He nodded, fighting against a disgusted expression. Jemma knew how he felt. He held the towel out to her, clearly not wanting to get too close, but when he was only a few feet away, he seemed to wobble on his feet. He leaned back as if some invisible wave washed over him, and his eyes almost appeared to glaze over. Jemma barely noticed it, however; she was much too preoccupied with grabbing the towel and dabbing at the mess. 

“Here, let me help you,” Darren muttered, his voice unusually breathless. 

Suddenly, Jemma felt his hand on her elbow and the other one taking the towel from her. She glanced up in surprise, then stepped back involuntarily when she realized how close he was. 

“Wha – you don’t have gloves – ” she objected, unable to complete the sentence in her confusion. 

He didn’t seem to hear her anyway, and he also didn’t seem to care about his lack of protective gear as he stepped closer again, sliding his hand along her arm and towards her shoulder to hold her still or maybe pull her to him.

As if Jemma wasn’t already feeling grossed out.

“I think I’m going to take a shower,” she announced.

Darren’s eyes darted up to meet hers, a strange sort of heat in them. His mouth hung open and his breath turned heavy. 

“Why don’t you finish up the autopsy?” Jemma suggested, tearing herself out of his grip and hurrying out of the room, peeling off her gloves and tossing them in a biohazard container on her way out. 

“What the…?” she muttered. 

She only made it about a quarter of the way to the showers, however, before she ran into Hunter and Bobbi. The two were standing close, Bobbi leaning against the wall and Hunter leaning towards Bobbi. They were talking quietly, the smiles on their faces suggesting the topic was rather flirtatious. Jemma rolled her eyes. They were so predictable. Or at least she thought so. But then Bobbi suddenly reached a hand out and pushed at Hunter’s chest until he backed away with a slight protest. Bobbi didn’t seem to notice; she only had (very wide) eyes for Jemma.

“Simmons, hi.”

Jemma slowed down slightly, shocked by Bobbi’s tone. Apparently she forgot to switch out of flirting mode when she changed conversation partners. 

“Hi,” Jemma responded slowly. “I’m just – excuse me, I need to – ”

“Oh, are you busy? Too bad. I wanted to see if you wanted to…do something.”

“Hey!” Hunter objected. “I thought you and I were going to…”

He trailed off as he turned to face Jemma, even as she tried to squeeze past them. Hunter’s grin grew wider, but it didn’t lose any of its lasciviousness. 

“Though the more, the merrier, I always say.”

What.

“Huh?” Jemma asked, convinced she wasn’t understanding what they were hinting at. Or maybe desperately hoping she wasn’t understanding it. 

She looked at them again, blushing and feeling a little tingle when she saw the way Bobbi licked her lips and winked at her. Jemma shook her head quickly to clear it and hurried on.

“I really have to go!” she shouted back, not daring to risk looking over her shoulder. 

_What_ had gotten into everyone? It was like she was a walking aphrodisiac or something. Jemma had a healthy self-esteem; she knew she drew attention from the opposite – and the same, as it turned out – gender but…now? Like this? In her gross lab coat, her hair falling out of its ponytail and some dead person’s juices drying on her skin?!

Jemma stumbled as she turned the corner and flung one hand out to catch herself.

“Oh my God!” she whispered.

In her haste to get cleaned up, she uncharacteristically forgot basic lab safety. She should have used the emergency shower in the lab. She really should have quarantined herself, actually – it was an Inhuman, after all! And apparently, this Inhuman’s gift was…sex pollen? No, that – this wasn’t some kind of crack fanfiction. Pheromones?

It could explain why the now-widow who had shot her cheating husband and the Inhuman was sitting in jail. 

“But that’s ridiculous,” Jemma countered, shaking her head. 

Was it, though? Of all the things she’d seen Inhumans do, was she really going to argue that _this_ was where she’d draw the line? 

She’d need a second opinion, someone to run her preliminary conclusions past and help her figure out the next steps for testing the substance. Jemma nodded to herself and walked towards the garage to find Fitz, suppressing the tiny voice scoffing about how exactly she wanted him to help her test it.

Just because they’d been in a weird sort of holding pattern in the long, strange months since Maveth didn’t mean she wanted to get past that hump – God – that…that barrier by putting some kind of whammy on him. No, she just wanted him – no – needed him – _damn_ – it was for science, OK?!

But any secret hope she might have had was dashed pretty quickly when Fitz wrinkled his nose and stepped back.

“Why do you smell like that?” he asked, somewhat strained as he tried not to breathe through his nose.

Jemma frowned, feeling a little self-conscious. “Smell like what?”

“I don’t know. Bad. Oh, please don’t tell me that’s from the…body,” he replied, fighting against a retch.

“It smells bad to you?” Jemma asked, her disappointment quickly being replaced by scientific fascination. “That’s – odd.”

Fitz laughed. “I think dead bodies smell bad to most people, actually.”

“No, it’s – Fitz, it’s the weirdest thing. We’re going to need to do some analyses, but I think that Inhuman – ”

“Hey, Simmons,” Mack interrupted.

He squeezed her shoulder as he walked past her and closer to the table. Positioning himself in between her and Fitz, Jemma couldn’t help but notice. He smiled broadly at her, pressing the handle of his screwdriver against his other palm. The motion caused his chest and arm muscles to flex rather…bulgingly, more than obvious against the soiled tank top he wore. Jemma raised her eyebrow. 

_She was only human._

“What can I do for you?” Mack asked, still gazing down at her. 

“Um.” Fitz sounded somewhat crabby but mostly confused as he placed a hand on Mack’s arm and tried to push him aside. Mack didn’t budge, so Fitz stepped to the side instead. As he came into view again, he shot Mack a questioning look. “Sorry, we were talking about something, Mack.”

“Yeah, uh-huh,” Mack replied, not even sparing him a glance as he stepped in front of him, blocking him from Jemma’s view again. 

“Oh God,” Jemma muttered, before adding, louder, “Never mind! We’ll talk later. See you guys.”

She practically ran out of the room. Definitely time for a shower. It was just her luck to be doused with actual pheromones that attracted everyone _except Fitz_. Jemma turned the corner and tried not to sigh when she saw Darren and two other guys at the end of the hall. They all waved at her. Jemma backpedaled, deciding to take the long way around. 

Which unfortunately took her past Coulson’s office.

“Simmons, could you come in here for a moment?” she heard him call out as she tried to sneak past.

No. _No._

“Yes, sir,” Jemma responded, grimacing. 

May was in there as well, and Jemma was torn between bracing herself for another offer of an orgy and hoping that May was unaffected and could help her. 

“We’ve got some intel on the woman brought in,” May told her, seemingly normal, and Jemma sagged in relief. “From her ex-boyfriend. Prince Charming dumped her shortly after we think she went through Terrigenesis. Said he couldn’t stand to be around her anymore, blamed it on a smell. Her sister suspected it had more to do with jealousy. They were constantly fighting over the attention she got from other people.”

Jemma hummed weakly. 

“Have you found any evidence on what her gifts might have been? There was nothing really overt, from what I can tell.”

“Well,” Jemma began, only to be interrupted by Coulson.

“Jemma, how are you? Do you feel like you’ve settled back in? If you ever want to talk or take some time off the base, I – ”

“Nope,” Jemma cut him off. She faced May. “I’ll explain later.”

She didn’t wait for a response before turning and rushing out the door. She turned back toward the showers, hoping her groupies had dispersed, but then stopped suddenly. Fitz was just a few feet down the hall, talking to the lab tech who secretly really was Jemma’s least favorite. She just didn’t feel it was very feminist to admit it, since she was a perfectly fine woman who just happened to always stand close enough to Fitz for him to see down her shirt. Jemma fought a glower and then jolted in surprise when she felt the traces of the pheromones start to tingle on her skin. 

Both Fitz and Stacy looked up at her. Their expressions were entirely different, with Fitz turning a bit green, like he was about to gag, and Stacy stumbling a bit as she backed away quickly, almost fearful. 

“Never mind,” Stacy blurted. “I’m sure I can figure it out on my own.”

She disappeared quickly, and Fitz focused on Jemma again. 

“You really need to take a shower,” he observed, wincing. “I just ate lunch, Jemma.”

“Shut up,” Jemma nearly spit at him. 

She made it to the showers in record time, with thankfully no other interruptions or propositions. She slammed the door shut behind her, sighing in relief and closing her eyes as she savored the solitude. 

“Hey girl,” Daisy greeted her, doing her best Trip impression.

Jemma’s eyes snapped open. Daisy smiled at her from where she was leaning over the sink and reapplying make-up. Her hair was still wet from her own shower. 

“Oh please, not you too,” Jemma groaned.

“Not me…what? Sorry, I just got done kicking Lincoln and Joey’s asses in training, so I’m out of the loop. Is something going on?”

Jemma’s head fell back, smacking against the door, as she exhaled. “Yeah, that Inhuman’s gift was sex pheromones. And I got a full dose. I’m the most popular person on the base.”

Daisy burst into laughter. “You’re kidding! Sex pollen?!”

Jemma couldn’t stop her own laugh. “I thought the same thing.”

“Well, thank God I’m immune. I mean, not that you aren’t super fine, Jemma Simmons, but…”

“Trust me, you don’t have to explain. I know exactly what you mean.” 

Jemma pushed off the door and began undressing as she stepped closer to the shower, not even caring anymore about modesty. She just needed to get this stuff off her.

“Do humans have pheromones?” Daisy asked curiously. “I mean, normal humans. What kind of gift is it? Is it just…like an enhancement of regular stuff or a totally new shift in physiology?”

“Eh, it’s debated,” Jemma shouted over the sound of the running water as she stepped into its spray. “There is some evidence – like when women get on the same menstrual cycle after spending too much time together.”

“And wreak havoc on the plumbing,” Daisy responded.

Jemma didn’t respond, instead sighing at the warmth of the water and the feeling of cleanliness. 

“Really? Nothing? Dwight? The Office? That was a great line.”

“Sorry, Daisy. What?”

“Nothing. So how many people have been trying to get a piece of you?”

“Oh, Daisy, I don’t really want to – ”

“Come on, you can’t not gossip about this.”

Jemma sighed. “One of the lab techs. Hunter and Bobbi. Mack. And…and Coulson.”

She could hear Daisy cackling and she sighed again.

“Wait, not Fitz?”

Jemma didn’t respond.

“Jemma? Not Fitz?”

“No,” she finally said, hoping her tone didn’t betray her feelings on the matter. 

“He was _immune_?” Daisy sounded incredulous.

“Worse,” Jemma admitted. “He was repelled.”

There was a long silence, and then Daisy said, “You know that doesn’t mean anything, right? I mean, I think we all know how he feels about you when there aren’t Inhuman chemicals at play.”

“Do we?” Jemma asked, doubts creeping in. “He hasn’t – we haven’t – I – ”

“Yes! Jemma! Are you kidding me? Trust me, you don’t need any chemical help to get that boy to bang you. You just have to let him know you want it.”

Jemma hesitated, uncertain, and then she tilted her head back into the water to drown out any additional comments from Daisy.

**

“Pheromones? Really?”

Jemma jumped in surprise as she stepped into her room and immediately discovered she wasn’t alone. She swallowed and nervously lifted her hand to the towel wrapped around her hair.

“It’s…been a weird day,” she acknowledged.

“I thought pheromones were supposed to smell good, though,” Fitz replied, looking adorably yet annoyingly confused. 

“I don’t know, Fitz,” Jemma responded, feeling inexplicably angry. “Everyone else thought I smelled pretty damn hot.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” His voice was quiet, and just a touch bitter in his jealousy.

Jemma gaped. Was he really…?

“ _What?_ ”

Fitz shrugged and turned away. “I don’t know. Just – did you like it? Everyone…I mean…I don’t know. Never mind.”

“No, I didn’t _like_ it. It was weird and scary and gross. And the only person I _wanted_ to – ”

She broke off, but it was too late. He spun on her, eyes wide in surprise. 

“What do you mean? Do you mean…me?”

Jemma sighed, suddenly exhausted. “It doesn’t matter, Fitz. You’ve made it clear, OK? I know you don’t – _mmph_.”

Jemma froze, unable to react as he pressed his lips to hers and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. Moments later, breath was forced sharply from her lungs as her back slammed into her door. He crowded up close, hands sliding down and smoothing over her waist and hips. She moved her own hands up to bury them in his hair. Groaning, she broke the kiss and let her head fall back. He moved down to mouth at her neck. 

“I thought you still needed time,” he mumbled almost incoherently. “I didn’t know if you still…he…um.”

Jemma shook her head, in a daze from the way his lower body was now pressing into hers. She could feel his length hardening where it seemed to fit perfectly against her. Shifting her weight to balance, she lifted one leg enough to hook the knee around his hip and gasped when she was forced to redefine perfect. 

“No, Fitz,” she disagreed, twisting closer to trace her tongue along the rim of his ear. “Didn’t you realize? I chose you so many times. I’ll always choose you. I lo – ”

He didn’t let her finish, moving back up to capture her in a passionate, joyous kiss. Jemma didn’t let the interruption throw her, choosing instead to drop her hands and focus on loosening his belt and unzipping his trousers. When she got them open enough to reach through the flaps and take hold of him, he broke away, breathing harshly and resting his forehead against hers as he looked down to watch her actions. 

“God. _God_.”

And then it was her turn to lose her composure as he slid his fingers under the loose waistband of the sweats she had pulled on after her shower. The tips of his digits played at the curls of hair, teasing at her clit before sliding down to stroke along her wet lips. 

“Fitz,” she moaned. 

That one word was enough incentive for him to move so quickly, she thought everything happened at once. He pushed her sweats down fully until they pooled at her ankles, and he lifted her at her armpits, hoisting her up and humming in approval as she kicked away the fabric and then wrapped her legs around his waist, and he twisted, stumbling only slightly as he carried her over and deposited her on the surface of her desk. The lamp fell off, crashing to the floor and breaking into a dozen pieces and the room was plunged into darkness broken only by the glow of her alarm clock.

All Jemma could do was laugh. Rather breathlessly.

Fitz barely seemed to notice. “Condom?”

Jemma shook her head. “IUD.”

“Oh God, really?” Fitz replied.

“Mm – oh!”

Fitz froze, buried deep in her. “Did I – hurt you? Too much?”

“Just startled me,” Jemma reassured him, shaking her head to reinforce her answer.

She leaned back, resting against the wall and vaguely registering how the small curve in her spine remaining after her surgery forced one shoulder to hit before the other. That was hardly the most important sensation though, not compared to the way Fitz was moving inside her or the way his breath was hitting her lips in ragged puffs or the way his fingers dug half-moons into her thigh where he gripped her almost painfully. 

“This is – ” he gritted out.

“I know,” Jemma agreed, laughing in pleased shock. She had always suspected it’d be good between them. She never thought it would be _this_ good.

She closed her eyes then, lifting one hand to his neck to pull him into another kiss and reaching the other down to rub at herself. Fitz moaned into her mouth, somehow sliding even further into her and trapping her hand between their bodies. It was too much, and Jemma saw stars as she shuddered in completion. When she finally came down from the pleasure, Fitz was still, except for his chest as he fought for breath and the occasional shiver. He rested his head on top of her shoulder. 

Eventually, he pulled away and met her eyes through the dim light. She was pretty sure her smile matched his in both width and intensity. 

“Who needs pheromones?” she murmured.

Fitz burst into laughter. And then, much to Jemma’s disapproval, he moved to separate them. She shook her head and tightened her legs around him.

“Not yet.”

“OK,” he agreed easily. “Just…”

He looked around, then carefully lifted her again and shuffled back towards the bed, avoiding the lamp fragments. When he sat down, it resulted in another little thrust inside her, and Jemma inhaled sharply at the sensation. Fitz slowly leaned back and then turned to his side, pulling her with him until they were awkwardly sprawled on the bed. 

“Gonna have to pull out soon,” he muttered apologetically.

“I know, just…a little while.”

Fitz didn’t respond verbally, but he did lift one hand to thread it through her hair. He leaned forward and kissed her nose before burying his face in the dark groove of her neck.

“You smell so good,” he mumbled.

Jemma snorted. “I probably smell like sweat and whatever’s left of my body wash.”

“You smell like you,” he countered. 

Jemma kissed the top of his head, his curls smelling pretty damn good, if sweaty, themselves. And then she sighed in resignation as she shifted enough to let him pull out of her. They repositioned themselves then, crawling onto the mattress more fully and finding pillows to bunch up beneath their heads. Jemma rolled closer to Fitz then, smiling as she reached one hand up to trace his lips and the other out to grasp his own and hold it tight. She thought about all the things she wanted to do with that mouth and those hands and all the parts of him that now were hers in every way she ever dreamed. 

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, clearly starting to fade into sleep.

Jemma grinned wickedly. “ _Drosophila melanogaster_.”

“Huh?”

“Their courtship rituals, specifically. They use pheromones. Among other things.”

“Please don’t tell me you want me to serenade you by clapping my wings together.”

“I was thinking more about the stage where the male puts his mouth on the female’s genitalia.”

There was a long pause, and her grin just grew wider.

“Um,” he finally said, before clearing his throat. “Yeah, that sounds like a really good courtship strategy, actually.”

Jemma hummed in anticipation.

**Author's Note:**

> I decided Inhumans were immune so Joey and Lincoln would have been unaffected too. May WAS affected, but she's a professional who can keep it in her pants.


End file.
